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Mastermind of the Akatsuki 399
🕑 Added 2025-05-14 16:00:10 +0000 UTCChapter 399: Invitation to the Five Kage Summit
A few days later, the leaders of the major shinobi villages received letters from the Fourth Raikage.
The first to receive the handwritten letter was the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. After just a brief glance at its contents, his expression turned grim.
In the letter, the Fourth Raikage mentioned the attack on the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki by the masked man, and boldly speculated that the disappearances of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchūriki from Iwagakure were likely connected to him as well.
Ōnoki’s expression shifted as he stared toward Kumogakure.
The Fourth Raikage wasn’t wrong, Ōnoki had already lost contact with both the Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchūriki and listed them as missing, suspecting they had fallen victim to an attack. However, he still clung to a faint hope, thinking that perhaps the two had simply grown disillusioned with his leadership and were hiding on purpose.
But the letter from the Fourth Raikage completely shattered that fragile illusion.
Even Killer Bee from Kumogakure had been attacked by the masked man. Given that, it was almost certain that the weaker Han and Rōshi wouldn’t have had the chance to escape. As for the proposed Five Kage Summit, Ōnoki was not yet ready to make a decision.
He wasn’t sure if this was a test by the Fourth Raikage. If he agreed to attend the summit, it might confirm that Han and Rōshi were indeed missing...
Just then, the door to the Tsuchikage’s office swung open with a noisy commotion as two young people barged in.
Seeing them, Ōnoki rubbed his forehead, clearly exasperated. “Kurotsuchi, Deidara… you’re arguing again, aren’t you?”
Kurotsuchi crossed her arms and said, “Grandpa, Deidara keeps picking on me. He sneaks explosive clay into my clay figurines to scare me.”
Hearing this, Ōnoki frowned. “Deidara, is that true? Is this what you waste your time on? Have you even mastered the Dust Release I taught you?”
Unfazed, Deidara responded, “Dust Release? Hah, I mastered that ages ago, hmph.”
As he spoke, Deidara activated his chakra, forming a small cube in his palm, the embryonic form of Dust Release. Seeing this, Ōnoki’s expression softened a little, but he wasn’t about to let Deidara off so easily.
If he praised Deidara now, the brat would definitely get cocky.
Just then, Deidara casually walked over to the desk, picked up the Fourth Raikage’s letter, and glanced at it. His eyes widened in surprise.
“Old man, is what this says true? Uncle Han and Uncle Rōshi were captured?”
Ōnoki didn’t intend to hide the truth. He nodded. “They’ve been taken. Whether it was the masked man or not… that’s still unclear.”
Deidara snorted. “Those two were too careless. If it had been me, I’d have blasted that masked freak into ashes.”
Kurotsuchi shot him a look of disdain. “The masked man has the ability to phase through attacks. Your explosive clay is useless against him.”
Deidara was momentarily at a loss for words but stubbornly argued back. “I don’t believe his phasing is endless. As long as my art doesn’t stop, I’ll blow him up eventually.”
“Hah, anyone can say that. My Lava Release could defeat him too.”
As Deidara and Kurotsuchi bickered, cold sweat trickled down Ōnoki’s back. He himself didn’t even dare claim victory against the mysterious masked man, and yet these two kids were so absurdly confident, it was beyond him.
“You two! Enough with the nonsense!” Ōnoki snapped. “Do you really think you could defeat the masked man? You’re both still weaker than Han and Rōshi. If you face him, you’re just throwing your lives away.”
Deidara brushed off the warning with a wave. “Alright, alright. You’ve gone on about the masked man’s threat long enough. What I really want to know is when you will finally let me visit Amegakure?”
“That’s out of the question! Amegakure and its leader Byakuya are far too dangerous. If you get caught up in something, what then?”
Deidara grabbed the Fourth Raikage’s letter again and said, “Then at least let me go to the Five Kage Summit. I’ve never been to something that grand. And if we’re rescuing Han and Rōshi, you’ll need my strength, right?”
Ōnoki fell silent.
Until now, he’d still been hesitant about attending the summit. But if the other four great villages gathered and united against the masked man…
Then Iwagakure, the only one absent, would become the outcast.
Today they might band together to fight the masked man who threatens the Tailed Beasts. Tomorrow, they could turn that alliance against the village that chose isolation, Iwagakure.
Having made up his mind to attend the Five Kage Summit, Ōnoki looked toward Deidara and Kurotsuchi.
Kurotsuchi would certainly accompany him, he’d long planned for her to be the next Tsuchikage. But Deidara was another matter. Bringing Deidara along would definitely cause trouble.
But leaving him behind… would probably cause even more trouble. Between the two evils, he had no choice but to bring Deidara along.
---
Compared to Iwagakure’s Ōnoki, Sunagakure’s Sasori had little hesitation upon receiving the letter.
As Byakuya’s undercover agent within Sunagakure and its Fifth Kazekage, Sasori would definitely attend the Five Kage Summit. The only question was when he’d arrive.
After deciding to attend, Sasori quickly convened a high-level meeting to make the announcement.
Most of Sunagakure’s leadership consisted of Sasori’s own kin, and his role in abolishing the village’s unequal treaties had earned him immense prestige.
This had effectively turned Sunagakure into a dictatorship under Sasori; there was no dissent, and the decision was unanimously approved. The only dilemma Sasori had was whether to include Temari, Kankurō, and Gaara in his escort.
The three siblings were children of Rasa, but they had proven loyal to Sasori.
As an eternal puppet body, Sasori could not produce heirs. However, someone would eventually have to take up the Kazekage title, and the siblings were the best candidates.
He pondered the matter for a while, but ultimately didn’t decide. In the end, he’d wait for instructions from Byakuya.
A momentous occasion like the Five Kage Summit, there was no way Byakuya wouldn’t get involved.
---
Inside Kirigakure’s main hall.
The village’s elders had also received the Fourth Raikage’s letter. After reading its contents, they fell into brief silence and then turned their eyes to the man in the central seat, Genji.
After the Fourth Mizukage broke free from the masked man’s control, Kirigakure had yet to elect a new Mizukage.
First, because the Fourth Mizukage was still alive, choosing a successor was premature.
Second, due to the damage caused by both the Third and Fourth Mizukage, the title had become tainted.
To the shinobi of Kirigakure, the position of Mizukage was no longer an honour. It was a curse.
Before becoming the Third and Fourth Mizukage, both had been full of vigor and ambition. However, after they assumed the title of Mizukage, they were controlled by a mysterious ninja and became mere puppets.
After weighing the pros and cons, the senior ninjas of Kirigakure decided not to elect a new Mizukage for the time being. This decision served two purposes: first, it helped avoid the curse of the Mizukage title, and second, the positions of the candidates were relatively equal. If one of them fell under the control of the masked man, it would be easier to notice and prevent it early.
Under the watchful eyes of the others, the elder, Genji, coughed and then spoke, "I never expected that the Eight-Tails of Kumogakure would also fall victim to the masked man's attack. These Uchiha clan descendants truly cannot let go of their greed. But this is actually a good thing for us. At least the Fourth Raikage has recognized the danger of the masked man and has called for the Five Kage Summit to discuss how to deal with this issue. What do you all think? Who should go to the Five Kage Summit?"
"The obvious choice is you, Genji-sama," everyone said in unison. Although Kirigakure had established a council of elders, Genji was undoubtedly the highest-ranking and most experienced elder.
Genji shook his head and said, "I'm too old to attend the summit. I can only choose someone from among you. Who will volunteer?"
At his words, both Mei Terumi and Zabuza raised their hands.
Both of them wished to be the one to lead the delegation to the Five Kage Summit, as being part of the summit nearly guaranteed that they would be the next Mizukage.
Seeing that both Mei Terumi and Zabuza had raised their hands, Genji hesitated. He didn't know whether to choose Mei Terumi or challenge Zabuza. Both were powerful, with significant influence within the village. If they ended up clashing over this, Kirigakure could fall into internal conflict.
After a deep sigh, Genji spoke directly, “Both of you will go to the summit. If something major happens that affects Kirigakure's future, you two need to work together and discuss things properly. Whoever performs best and can bring back the Six-Tails, I will step down from my position as the elder."
In the end, Genji does not choose a new Mizukage, but he throws a challenge at the position of elder, sparking competition between Mei Terumi and Zabuza. After all, the jinchuriki were the foundation of a ninja village. Whoever could bring back a jinchuriki would be seen as a hero.
Upon hearing Genji's promise, both Zabuza and Mei Terumi exchanged determined glances, their fighting spirit ignited.
---
At the Hokage's office.
Not long after taking office, Tsunade received a letter from the Fourth Raikage and immediately summoned Jiraiya, Shisui, and the advisory elders. The invitation to the Five Kage Summit was a significant matter, and they needed to discuss it together before making a decision.
Soon, the senior members of Konohagakure gathered in the conference room.
After hearing that the Eight-Tails, Killer Bee, had been attacked and that the Fourth Raikage had issued the invitation to the Five Kage Summit, both Jiraiya and the advisory elders furrowed their brows in surprise.
Shisui also firmed his gazes. He hadn't been informed about this matter beforehand.
After reading the letter from the Fourth Raikage, Tsunade asked openly, "This is the entire content of the letter. What do you think Konoha should respond to Kumogakure?"
Koharu Utatane, the elder, pondered for a moment and then spoke, “The invitation to the Five Kage Summit is likely a trap set by Kumogakure. Back when Tobirama was alive, we attended a Five Kage Summit once…"
At this point, Koharu fell silent, leaving her meaning clear.
Homura Mitokado, another elder, spoke up, “I disagree with Koharu's view. This time, the Fourth Raikage is calling for a Five Kage Summit with all the ninja villages. He should not dare to scheme. Moreover, the issue at hand is dealing with the masked man and rescuing the jinchuriki. I think we should carefully reconsider our response before making a decision.
The masked man is the murderer who killed the Fourth Hokage and his wife. We must bring him to justice," Homura Mitokado continued.
"But as long as we still have the jinchuriki, the fact that the masked man is attacking other villages' jinchuriki is actually good for us. It at least reduces the pressure from the other three major villages."
"And while they're busy dealing with the masked man, we can focus on rebuilding and recovering," he added.
Upon hearing Homura Mitokado's opinion, Jiraiya couldn't help but frown. He knew the village was currently weak, but was leaving the task of dealing with the masked man to other villages really a good idea?
The masked man had already attacked the Eight-Tails, but one day, he would surely target Naruto as well.
Thinking of this, Jiraiya spoke up, "Koharu-sama, Homura-sama, Konoha is the first ninja village, the one that called for the first Five Kage Summit. How could we back out now? As for letting the other villages deal with the masked man, that's even more unreliable. What if they do join forces and the masked man decides not to attack them but turns his focus on us instead?"
Hearing this, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado's expressions changed slightly. They then replied, "We're just pointing out the pros and cons. The final decision on whether or not to attend the Five Kage Summit is up to you."
After listening to the conversation between Jiraiya and the advisory elders, Tsunade turned to Shisui and asked, "Shisui, what is your suggestion?"
Shisui paused for a moment and then said, "Of course, we must attend the Five Kage Summit. How could Konoha miss such an important occasion? Not only do we need to attend, but we must also take the initiative in the summit. If we can become the leaders of the Five Kage Summit, Konoha will regain the glory of the First Hokage era, and even the Root and Uchiha clans will have to submit to us."
Shisui's words made Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the others feel excited as if they could already see the glory of Konoha's past.
Indeed, Shisui was right. Konoha had to attend the Five Kage Summit, but whether they could take the lead was still uncertain, as Konoha was no longer the strongest village.
After unanimously agreeing to attend the summit, they then turned to the selection of the delegates.
Aside from Tsunade, as the Fifth Hokage, who had to attend as a representative of the village, they needed to choose a few other people to form the bodyguard team.
Jiraiya was undoubtedly a member of the bodyguard team, but the others were still uncertain. There weren't many ninjas in the village qualified to attend the Five Kage Summit.
